Dramatic measures to control the sale of alcohol in Scotland, including minimum prices for drinks and a ban on two-for-one cut-price offers, have been unveiled by ministers.

The proposals, which mean Scotland could become the first country in Europe to fix alcohol prices, will prohibit all retailers, publicans and drinks firms from using heavily-discounted drinks to attract customers and boost sales.

Scottish health and justice ministers said they would push through the controversial measures, first suggested last year, despite concerted resistance from opposition parties, student groups, drinks firms and retailers.

Scottish ministers admitted they it would be a challenge ensuring that ­minimum pricing was "effective, ­proportionate and legally robust", and said they would need further time to find the right price and policy.

SNP ministers confirmed they faced a "challenge" ensuring that minimum pricing was "effective, proportionate and legally robust", and would need further time to find the right price.

But Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish health secretary, said this morning that tough measures were crucial if Scotland was to tackle its worsening problems with binge drinking, underage drinking and alcoholism.

One study last week said hospital admissions from alcohol-related diseases and violence had now exceeded heart disease for the first time. One study suggested misuse, bingeing and violence cost the Scottish economy £2.25bn a year.

Alcohol-related deaths were at 1,500 a year, and Scotland now had the world's eighth highest alcohol consumption rate, at 11.8 litres of pure alcohol a head, compared with 9.9 litres a head in England and Wales.

The raft of proposals includes alcohol-only sales areas at supermarkets; giving chief constables the right to ask for bans on under-21s using off-licences; and powers to impose a "social responsibility fee" on retailers in areas with problem drinking.

Sturgeon said: "Plummeting prices and aggressive promotion have led to a surge in consumption, causing and adding to health problems ranging from liver and heart diseases to diabetes, obesity, dementia and cancers. The time has come for serious action. It is no longer an option for anyone to simply talk about the problem of alcohol misuse but shy away from the action needed to tackle it."

With vodka now being sold for £6 a bottle, drink control charities argue alcohol is wrongly being sold by retailers like any other commodity, such as tea or biscuits, when it should be treated as a controlled and potentially dangerous substance.

The Scottish government cites University of Sheffield research which showed that fixing prices at 40p a unit would cut consumption by 2.6% overall, but the impact on young drinkers would be much higher, cutting their usage by 4%.

However, opposition parties and retailers accused the Scottish National party government in Edinburgh of continuing to put forward discredited proposals, which they said had been widely criticised as ineffective and contradictory.

The proposals to allow councils to introduce local bans on under-21s using off-licences ‑ a measure opposed by the SNP's youth wing and student groups ‑ had also been voted down in the Scottish parliament last year.

Murdo Fraser, deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said the minimum pricing levels set out by ministers last year would mean some drinks which are notorious for their links to underage drinking, such as Buckfast tonic wine and alcopops, would actually become cheaper.

Fraser said heavy discounting was an issue which should be challenged at the UK level through the tax system.

Richard Baker, Labour's shadow Scottish justice secretary, said the "crackpot" idea of banning all under-21s from buying alcohol ignored Labour's own, more sensible, plans for mandatory age checks to weed out underage drinkers.

He added that the Scottish justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, "has had two years to deliver his alcohol and criminal justice strategy and despite delay after delay, and rethink after rethink, Scotland is left with an unworkable mess".

Gavin Partington, spokesman for the Wine and Spirits Trade Association, said increasing prices and banning promotions might cut alcohol sales, but would not properly address the causes of misuse.

Much more should be done to educate people, to enforce licensing laws, and to tackle the poverty, poor housing and joblessness which underlay much alcohol misuse.

"It's quite clear the Scottish government has decided to grab headlines rather than come up with serious evidence-based policies which will address the real root causes of alcohol misuse in Scotland. These proposals will result in higher prices for millions of ordinary consumers; why should they pay the price for problems caused by a minority?"

Fiona Moriarty, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "Prices and promotions are broadly the same across the UK but alcohol-related deaths are far higher in Scotland than England, which clearly shows Scotland's relationship with alcohol is deep-rooted and complex.

"At a time when customers' finances are under severe pressure it's incredible that the Scottish government believes voters will thank them for using the force of law to push up prices.

"Arguments about price and alcohol consumption by under-18s are utterly spurious. They should not be buying it anyway."